CASCO — After failing to secure the necessary votes twice in the past, the proposed renovation project for Crooked River Elementary School finally passed Tuesday.

Voters in Casco, Bridgton and Naples overwhelmingly supported the $9 million project March 19. Bridgton voted 174 to 47 to approve, Casco voted yes 206 to 53 and Naples supported the project 227 to 70, with one blank ballot.

SAD 61 School Board Chairwoman Janice Barter said she was “relieved” when she heard the result. “I’m certainly glad it’s done.”

SAD 61 Superintendent Alan Smith was more confident in the outcome, but still said “you always keep your fingers crossed.”

Voters previously shot down a $9.6 million renovation proposal in December 2015 and a $7.8 million proposal in April 2016.

The renovation will entail significant upgrades to the existing structure to bring it up to code as well as the construction of a two-story addition and the installation of a fire sprinkler system.

The project will address overcrowding at Songo Locks School in Naples, which is using 13 modular classrooms to fit its students. The facility was built over 30 years ago to house about 360 students, yet enrollment is currently at 460.

Overcrowding will get worse in the next year or so as new state mandates require classrooms for pre-kindergarten students as well as child development services (3- to 4-year olds with significant needs.)

Barter believes that people have realized how dire the situation is: “Having the portables outside where they can see them and having a whole grade level in a portable kind of reinforced it.”

The renovated Crooked River school will serve students in grades 3 through 5, while pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and grades 1 and 2 will remain at Songo Locks.

Crooked River was built in 1985 and closed in 2009 to cut costs. The building is currently used for Adult Education and Special Services.

The renovation will be financed through a 20-year bond, and $1 million of capital reserve monies will be used for this project, which will decrease the final bonding cost to just under $8 million.

But the renovation will not raise taxes because the district will retire its debt payments from two previous construction projects (the Lake Region Middle School addition with athletic fields and the Stevens Brook Elementary School), and there will be an annual savings from no longer leasing the portables.

Smith said this project is the “perfect opportunity” because it “doesn’t increase the debt side of our budget.”

In addition, “this is a project that’s something that will be available for kids and the community for 40 or 50 years. It isn’t something that’s going to go away,” he explained.

According to Barter, the next step is gathering building permits, which can take three to six months, and drawing the building plans. She hopes to have students in the new building in the fall of 2020.

“We appreciate the support of the voters and are glad this finally passed, and we’re ready to get started,” she said.

Jane Vaughan can be reached at 780-9103 or at jvaughan@keepmecurrent.com.

Voters in Casco, Bridgton and Naples voted Tuesday to approve a $9 million renovation project at Crooked River Elementary School in Casco.

The renovated Crooked River school will house grades 3 through 5.

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